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A typical day

Morning rounds through the plant: read meters, check chlorine and turbidity, pull samples, test them in the lab and log the results. Adjust chemical doses as river or lake water changes with the weather. Maintain pumps, clean filters, check the control system screens. Drive out to a reservoir or lift station. Some days are quiet routine; a main break, a storm or a bad lab result turns it into a long one. In a small town you might be the only operator on call for a week at a time.